


Every Great Love Story Starts With Those Words

by Rivulet027



Category: iZombie (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Cook Clive Babineaux, F/M, POV Dale Bozzio, Protective Clive Babineaux
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 08:20:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13050156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rivulet027/pseuds/Rivulet027
Summary: Dale adjusts to the idea that she's going to be a zombie now.





	Every Great Love Story Starts With Those Words

**Author's Note:**

  * For [stars_inthe_sky](https://archiveofourown.org/users/stars_inthe_sky/gifts).



> Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with iZombie. It's not my toy box and I'm merely playing.
> 
> A/N: Thank you to Midnightclarity for the beta.

The look on Clive’s face tells Dale everything she needs to know, things have drastically changed between them, again. Dale is barely getting used to the fact that zombies exist and now her whole world shifts again. She’s a zombie or rather she's going to turn into a zombie soon. 

Clive’s face, the fear for her, she can’t get that look out of her head. 

They compartmentalize. It’s not just her world that can change, but everyone in that line the two of them had spent hours reconnecting in. She and Clive work quickly to let the workers at the vaccination station they’re at know that the vaccines have been contaminated. They managed to get everyone at that center out safely and move onto the next one as Liv goes to the media.

After they regroup at Liv’s apartment. Dale isn't not craving brains yet. She doesn’t feel any different, worried, but not different. A part of her wants to hope that maybe she isn’t going to turn into a zombie, but she knows that’s a false hope.

“Okay, I need to know everything,” Dale manages as she drops onto onto the couch. Clive sits near her, not hovering. He’s been a supportive presence by her side the whole night. 

“What question do you have?” Liv asks. 

Dale feels herself relax slight as Clive takes her hand and squeezes it. Liv smiles at them sadly. Clive frowns, face introspective for a moment. She tilts her head to look at him and asks him what he’s thinking.

“Just remembering something I said about killing zombies when I first met Liv,” he admits wrinkling his nose. “I’m sorry.”

“A lots changed,” Liv sighs.

“A lot has,” he agrees.

“The whole world,” Dale adds.

Clive’s laugh is hollow and tinged with worry. Liv chuckles and shakes her head. Dale sighs. She takes Clive in and wonders if this is the end of their relationship. They’ve barely been back together, hadn’t even gotten to have a post break up first date yet and she’s missed him. Even when she was angry with him she missed him. She missed the way he looked at her, like she was the most amazing woman he’d ever met. She missed his cooking. She missed his enthusiasm for the things he loved. She missed his friendship too. Were they going to get stuck being friends because of a vaccine? Dale laughs sadly. She believes in vaccines, she still does, except now she’s a zombie.

“I’m going to miss your cooking,” she admits.

“I could make you something, if Liv doesn’t mind,” Clive offers automatically, moving as though he’s going to kiss her. 

Dale stills, eyes widening. “I don’t even know if I can kiss you. Am I able to kiss you?”

“Kissing is fine,” Liv reassures. “You just can’t have sex.”

Dale laughs helplessly dropping her forehead onto Clive’s shoulder. She’s going to lose him. She doesn’t want to lose him. He reaches up and cups the side of her head, fingers stretching out and giving her neck a reassuring rub.

“I don’t know what we have in the kitchen,” Liv offers. “I’ve taken to trying new recipes and finding ways to add brains to them.”

“Brains,” Dale repeats with a laugh. She sighs and lifts her head. “I’m sorry this is just all still a little unreal.”

“I walked around in a depressive haze for months,” Liv offers sympathetically.

Clive gives her a reassuring kiss. It’s brief, but still a reminder that he’s not planning to go anywhere, despite the chasm of hardships their relationship is now facing. He squeezes her knee and promises food before heading into the kitchen.

“Food?” Dale asks. “Clive’s cooking. I’m really going to miss that.”

“He really is a good cook,” Liv agrees. “It’ll be difficult to taste anything unless it’s very spicy.”

Dale nods. “And you just add brains to things?”

“Fillmore-Graves has packets of brain mush that don’t give you the side effects of eating a brain,” Liv continues. “I haven’t tried adding theirs to food yet, but I’m sure it’s doable.”

“There are side-effects to eating brains?” Dale boggles, then shakes her head, “Of course there are side effects.”

“Dale you will get through this,” Liv comforts, moving to sit near her.

“Eventually this will all sink in,” Dale agrees. “I just want to be prepared. So side effects?”

“You end up taking on some of the personality traits of the person whose brain you’ve eaten,” Liv explains. “The first case I worked I ate the brain of a Romanian speaking kelpto and suddenly I was stealing things and could understand and speak Romanian.”

Dale frowns. Liv opens her mouth to continue and Dale holds up her hand. Liv closes her mouth and waits a moment. Dale shakes her head. “I can see how being able to speak a new language would be useful, but would I still be me then if I’m taking on aspects of other people?”

“It helps with flashbacks, to trigger them, if you’re more immersed in the brain, but yeah you’re still there.” 

“Flashbacks?” Dale prompts.

“It’s why I get to help with murder cases. When you’ve eaten a brain you’ll get flashbacks into that person’s life.”

“So all those murders you’ve helped solve have been because you’ve eaten the victim’s brain?” Dale manages slowly.

“Most of the time.”

Dale laughs again, covering her face. It takes her a moment to explain, “I’m sorry. My stress reaction has always been to laugh at absurd situations and I’m not sure it gets any more absurd than this.”

“Not it really doesn’t,” Liv agrees. “You do get used to it though.”

“But I could eat this brain mush and not get visions or personality traits of a person who died?”

“Yeah, they don’t taste very good. I haven’t really tried cooking with them yet,” Liv admits.

Dale nods. Then indicates Liv’s hair. “You’re usually very pale and your hair...”

“It’s a wig and a layer of make-up.” Liv wrinkles her nose. “Some people tan. There are ways to look like you’re not a zombie.”

“Oh, I’m dying my hair,” Dale decides. "I decided I was dying any white hairs a long time ago and that's not going to change now."

Clive sits in the nearest chair as he joins them again. “I’m going to suggest take out or I do some quick grocery shopping.”

“Payten and I’ve been busy lately. We really need to go grocery shopping.”

“Lots of wine,” Clive tells her. “But you’re low on everything else, except brains, at least I think that was brains.”

“Likely brains,” Liv nods.

“Okay,” Clive says slowly. “Going to get used to cooking with brains. I won’t be long, or I’ll try not to be.”

Dale walks him to the door, kisses him again, firmly this time. 

“We’ll figure this out,” Clive reassures.

“Even though I’m a zombie and you’re the guy I’ve missed?”

“I’ve miss you too,” Clive tells her before kissing her again. He pulls back and gives her one of those smiles that make her feel warm as he repeats the words she said earlier. “Don’t you know, every great love story starts with those words?”

“What? Let me be your zombie girlfriend?” she teases.

“Only if I get to be your human boyfriend.”

“Deal,” she agrees, closing the distance between them once more to seal their agreement with a kiss. When he pulls back and steps away she smiles. She closes the door behind him and turns back to Liv. “I have so many more questions.”


End file.
